Wednesday, March 30, 2011

American Idol - Top 11 (Week 2) Elton John Week

Tomorrow night, 2 singers get cut after the judges saved Casey. Here's how it went down:

Scotty - (Country Comfort) One of Elton's only country songs.Scotty has a fantastic voice, deep and rich. I need him to stretch. He is singing ballads week after week. He is deep dish country and that is his home, but he's gonna be challenged in the coming style weeks and he HAS to show growth.

Naima - (I'm Still Standing)The reggee flavor was interesting. Like Scotty, she's an artist who knows herself. She did a good job making it her own, but it's really a "fuck you" song and it didn't deliver on the intent of the song.

Paul - (Rocket Man)Toothpaste sales for him.Wow...there is next to no power in his voice. Elton has a SUBSTANCE to his voice, but Paul doesn't.

*Pia - (Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me)Gorgeous! Knocked it out of the park! I mean, she did a lovely, composed job and she was so natural. The call about ballads was right, but she is one of my favorites.

Stefano - Tiny DancerJack and I disagreed slightly. Jack hated it. I thought he did a servicable job and it was a nice showcase for his voice. Still, his voice is kinda awesome.

Lauren - Candle in the WindStill can't believe she's 16. She gave a very beautiful vocal performance. The visual performance was a little awkward, but it;s one of the few moments we wanted to hear the song go longer. Effortless, controlled, and full of color.

James - Saturday Night's AlrightKinda fun! The choreography worked itself out and he was fun in a ballad HEAVY show. He knows himself, what he loves to do and what he's singing. (Bonus points for the Pepsi joke)

Thia - DanielI love her voice. It was masterful and the ending was gorgeous! I hope to God America gives her a break.

*Casey - Your SongOne of the best performances of the year. Subtle, without any of the vocal indulgences, yet still very Casey.

*Jacob - Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest WordJacob is so freakin' AMAZING! I'm stunned. It was done so brilliantly, it was magic.

*Haley - Bennie and the JetsReally good. She served up a great performance that was confident and solid!